Skin pigment battle: which melasma treatment wins?
NCT ID NCT07604844
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study compares two treatments for melasma, a skin condition causing dark patches on the face. One group gets injections of tranexamic acid, the other gets mandelic acid chemical peels. Researchers will track pigmentation improvement and quality of life in 120 adults over several sessions.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- tranexamic acid and mandelic acid
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could show which treatment is more effective for reducing melasma pigmentation in South Asian skin types.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with no phase designation, so results may not apply broadly. Both treatments are cosmetic and not a cure.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 120 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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May 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 45 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: Age 18-45 years. Clinical diagnosis of facial melasma. Fitzpatrick skin phototypes III-V. Disease duration of at least 3 months. Exclusion Criteria: Pregnancy or lactation. Known hypersensitivity to tranexamic acid or mandelic acid. Active facial dermatoses or infection. Personal or family history of thromboembolic disease. Coagulation disorders. Systemic retinoid use within 6 months. Oral contraceptive or hormone replacement therapy within 6 months. Use of topical or systemic depigmenting agents within 4 weeks. History of keloid tendency.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Combined Military Hospital, Abbottabad
Abbottabad, KPK, 22010, Pakistan
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a simple pill make melasma creams work better?
- Can a two-acid cream fade stubborn melasma?
- Can sunscreen do more than protect? study tests if it fades dark spots
- New cream trio aims to outshine standard melasma treatment
- Can sound waves clear up skin? new trial tests ultrasound for pigment and rosacea